


Existence

by underwaternature



Category: Super Smash Brothers
Genre: Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Slight spoilers, series of drabbles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-04
Updated: 2019-06-11
Packaged: 2020-04-07 17:05:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19089364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/underwaternature/pseuds/underwaternature
Summary: When two fighters fall, a phenomena happens elsewhere.[Takes place after chapter 132 of Audio’s fanfic]





	1. Richter

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Audiomedic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Audiomedic/gifts).
  * Inspired by [One Big Smash-y Family](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17470526) by [Audiomedic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Audiomedic/pseuds/Audiomedic). 

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Richter didn’t know if this was the afterlife, but if it was, it was incredibly boring.

One second, he had been alone in his room. The next, there was a suffocating feeling in his chest and his world turned black.

It was a strange sensation. Panic was the first the seize Richter’s mind. Was he dead? Why? Would the others be okay? Was Simon okay? Questions upon questions entered his head, all of them left unanswered.

After a while, didn’t know how long he had been in this... state. He couldn’t feel anything—not his legs, not his hands or arms, nothing. And yet he could understand his own thoughts crystal clear as he stared into the blank void. Or at least that’s what he assumed he was looking at. Did he even have eyes still?

Internally, he sighed. This was not what he expected when he, presumably, died. He didn’t know what, but always believed it would be something more, y’know, _eventful_? God, this was a pain. He doubted time existed on this plane of whatever, but he sure he got bored of it real quick.

He just hoped he would be able to see everyone alive; if he ever did come back at all that is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me: aight time for bed  
> me @ me: write about your boy at 1am  
> me, pulling up a document: absolutely


	2. Lucina

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dying or not, this wasn’t how Lucina wanted to go.

Something constricted on itself in her chest, and Lucina felt her breath become short. She heard Meta Knight say something to her, but all her brain registered was muffled static. And just like that her world turned dark.

Lucina felt like she was suffocating. She couldn’t feel anything nor see anything. It was a dark, blank void, as if something had placed her in a room where light didn’t exist. She wanted to yell, scream, shout, but nothing came out.

For some minutes—hours, days?—Lucina simply remained in a fixed state. Unable to move, her energy was focused on her thoughts which were somehow still present. Where was she? She hoped it wasn’t some crude afterlife or something. Was there a reason she was here? The young woman couldn’t fathom one.

The next moments were spent in silence. Quiet, unthinking moments. Lucina stared into the blank space in front of her, and the void stared back.

* * *

 

Suddenly, she was back.

Lucina violently gasped for breath, stumbling back into a wall. She leaned on it like it was life-or-death, her eyes wide and breaths shaky.

“Lucina?” she heard Meta’s voice say. From the corners of her vision she could see him take a step forward to her, concerned.

“I...” The swordswoman couldn’t form a coherent sentence. After a few more scary seconds, she managed to calm herself with some deep breaths. “I’m—I’m fine. I’m fine,” she said, though it was more to herself than anything.

“Are you sure?”

“...Positive.” She slowly positioned herself upright, trying to tame her rapidly beating heart. She took a look at their surroundings. It was... all the same as before. “How... long was I gone?”

“What? What do you mean?”

Lucina looked at him incredulously.

Meta Knight continued, “Well... I saw you start to keel over in pain, but right after that you were gasping for air.”

His words processed in her head and she came to a conclusion. That feeling, leaving and returning... that must’ve been instantaneous. To her it felt like an eternity, but for him it was only mere seconds.

The knight was still observing her worriedly. Lucina shook her head. “I need a moment,” she told him. He nodded, even if not entirely convinced yet.

“Very well,” he replied. “I’ll be here if you need me.”

“Yeah. Thank you, Meta.”

Meta Knight turned, his cape flapping behind him, and Lucina watched as he traveled down the hall before disappearing from sight around a corner. Now alone, she shakily sighed to herself and organized her thoughts.

She needed to find her father. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> initially, this fic was going to be Richter-centric but then Audio inspired me to write about Chrom and Lucina and so here we are.  
> also; since this is no longer just about Richter i thought that changing up the summary would be more fitting


	3. Chrom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chrom had faced many things in his life, but death wasn’t one he was expecting so soon.

Chrom felt Falchion slip from his grasp and heard it clatter on the floor. He took a knee as he struggled to regain his breath, the pain in his chest slowly suffocating him. The corners of his eyes began to fade black before it consumed him in its entirety.

He felt himself fall, but he also felt himself stay in place. All around him was dark. Blank, a void, nothing at all. It appeared as though he was floating, even if it didn’t feel that way. The swordsman couldn’t feel the sensation of his fingers flexing or feet shuffling. Something had locked him in place, frozen in this timeless plane.

His first instinct was to grab for a weapon. Realizing that he couldn’t was when the panic started to settle in him. Who was responsible for this? What was going to happen to him? Was Lucina all right? The feeling gnawed at him unpleasantly.

He was trapped, alone, in this Godsforsaken place.

* * *

 

Florescent lights blinded him suddenly. Chrom fell to the ground, straight on his face. He groaned, coughing and holding his head. Well, that’s certainly gonna leave a bruise. Moving to stand, he wobbled on his feet as he adjusted himself to his surroundings. Falchion laid flat on the ground next to him and hurriedly he picked it up, gaining security in the fact that his sword was with him.

Everything... was the same. The exact same. As far as the swordsman could tell, everything was where he left it. The training room was clean and tidy as always, besides the few battered punching bags and dummies littered about. Chrom spun around in a circle as he took all it in. He thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.

Nope, nothing out of the ordinary.

“What the...” he mumbled to himself. Chrom caught sight of himself in the mirror and he paused to take a closer look. His clothes looked fine, and nothing was on his face, but... there was a look in his eyes. A look that was filled with horror and fear. Slowly, he inhaled and exhaled through his nose. Movement in the mirror then caught his attention, and he turned to see who it was.

“Lucina...”

“Father!”

From the doorway, his daughter ran up to him and tackled him into a hug. Chrom yelped, stumbling backwards and incidentally bumping into the mirror. She got off of him quickly, mumbling out an apology. Chrom couldn’t help but smile a little, but he could tell something was off.

“Lucina?” he started. “Is something wrong?”

She didn’t say anything to him, only looking at him in the eyes. Then, he understood. She had that same haunted look in her eyes, and that alone terrified him.

Chrom dragged his hand over his face and sighed. “Gods... it happened to you too?”

Lucina’s eyes widened. “How did you—? What do you mean—?”

He nodded silently, and she stopped. It became quiet between them, the reality of their situation sinking in. Her shoulders slumped. She looked incredibly tired, and he bet he himself did too.

“Well,” she quietly said after a few moments, “what now?”

He gave no verbal response and glanced away.

Truly, he didn’t know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i love two swordies and a whip son. i also love making them suffer :)  
> the last chapter will be an epilogue of sorts, so stay tuned!


	4. Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A void of emptiness wasn’t something one easily forgot. Still, they move on to the best of their abilities.

“...Chrom? Chrom!”

Someone shook his shoulder and Chrom snapped out from his reverie. The sky above was colored a soft orange, fading into cool blue and purple tones as dusk arrived. He turned to see Richter next to him, whose brows were furrowed in concern. The two were just out in the back of the mansion, overlooking the—ridiculously—large backyard.

Flustered, Chrom asked, “S—sorry, was I zoning out?”

Richter leaned back against the wall, following his gaze out to the field. “Yeah, you were.” He then added quietly, “Does it still bother you?”

Chrom took a deep breath. “...It does,” the swordsman admitted. “A lot in fact.”

Richter nodded and fell silent. Chrom knew it was the same for him. A little over a week had passed since the, er, _incident_ , and not many words have been spoken regarding it. The whole experience... the numbness, the blend of emotions; all of it just left him uncomfortable. Distractions were certainly abundant, including the, extremely cute, herd of Wooloo that had spawned the other day. Nonetheless, the topic became constant at the back of his mind, something he couldn’t just simply shake away.

Sighing to himself, Chrom refocused his attention back onto the field where Lucina was. She was practicing swings and jabs by herself a fair distance away from them. He already had sparred with her for a few rounds initially, but then he opted to take a break at some point. His daughter understood and decided to continue practicing alone.

“How long has she been out there?” Richter asked.

“Uh, a few hours, give or take.”

“Does she always do this?”

Chrom shrugged. “I suppose so. It’s normal to see her doing something like this back home in Ylisse. That and helping out the other soldiers and Shepherds whenever she could. I think it’s her version of a distraction, keeping herself occupied so that she doesn’t have time to think about other things.”

“Her version of a distraction, huh...” Richter blew a raspberry. “I sure could use one myself. I’ve just been wandering for a while now. Well, better than staring into space anyway.”

The swordsman eyed the hunter from the side. “Is that you taking a potshot at me?”

“Who said I was taking a potshot?” he replied, though his smirk said it all. Chrom playfully punched him on the shoulder and Richter laughed.

Another hour later, Lucina decided to take a pause and join them. Her cheeks were tinted red with exhaustion and she was panting, but looked more relaxed than Chrom had ever seen her lately. She came up to them with a grin, hugging her father and smiling at Richter.

“Hello, Richter,” Lucina greeted. “What brings you here?”

“Just thought I’d stop by is all,” he answered with an easy grin. “Glad to see you’re doing all right, Luce.”

She rolled her eyes at the nickname, but her cheeks flushed and her smile widened. Chrom chuckled at the sight. Richter had a penchant for nicknaming others, usually being shortened version of their names, and they often end up sticking.

“I am, thank you,” she said, her eyes wrinkling at the corners. “Am I able to say the same for you? Although I suppose all of us are still recovering...”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.” He brushed off the question. “It’s in the past; nothing we can do about it now.” Solemnly, Lucina nodded.

Chrom thought to change the subject. “It’s getting late, you two,” he reminded. “It’s about time we had back inside for supper.”

“Yes, I think that’s for the best,” his daughter agreed. “Will you be joining us, Richter?”

 “Sure,” the hunter said with a casual shrug. “Wouldn’t want all the food to be gone before we even arrive, right?”

That garnered a laugh from Chrom and a low chuckle from Lucina. As the former led the way back into the house, listening to the two behind him make further small talk, he felt at ease despite everything that had happened. This was still the mansion, his second home of sorts, surrounded with those he knew and trusted.

So even if past events left them troubled, they could move on from it, one step at a time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anddd done! i fricking love these three yasss


End file.
